The Pale Horse and Rider
by CanyonsIntrovert07
Summary: Have you ever wondered what Death does when he isn't being called on by the Winchesters? Daniel certainly didn't. At least not before he was called to be Death's apprentice.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story I thought of listening to the song "Oh, Death" by Jen Titus that played in the episode that introduced Death to Supernatural. I do not own Death or the scene from the show where Death is introduced, but everything else is pretty much my creation. (: I hope you like it! **

"Please! Please don't do this! I have a wife and kids at home!" the man screamed at the armed robber.

"Just shut up and empty the register!" the panicked robbed yelled back.

I watched stoically as the scene played out, who would it be today? The robber, or the man with 'wife and kids at home', who would die? I sighed, how many times had I heard that line, I had lost count somewhere in the low trillions. I cocked my head as a new piece was placed on the board. A little boy, he could not have been more than eight. I shook my head in disappointment; humans are such stupid creations, too caught up in what they are doing to observe their surroundings.

The robber turned in alarm as the bell chimed and his eyes fell on the little boy. The boy screamed and turned to flee; with wide eyes the robber pulled the trigger. With a gurgle the boy shivered and fell. Robber, one; little boy, zero. I walked over to the boy still struggling against the bullet, pulling toward life. I crouched low and brushed his damp hair away from his forehead. His soul clung to my fingertips, the softness of the poor boy's soul made me frown. I cast a glance at the robber and looked to his death. Hit by a school bus, how poetic.

"Reaper," I called, looking down at the boy's soul. Souls are such quiet things, so small and yet so powerful, so valuable "Who is it today?"

The atmosphere in the room stirred as a reaper stepped through the veil. The people in the room shivered against the sudden change, stunned for a minute as time was interrupted. They blinked against the sensation of time replaying; I believe they call it déjà vu. Such simple creatures, they could not even withstand the lapse of time.

"My name is Abdiel," the reaper said, her eyes down cast.

I nodded my head, servant of God, how fitting. I blew across my fingertips and the soul obediently pulled away from me. An image of the boy materialized before me, and he looked down at his body, a shell without his soul.

"Am I dead?" he asked quietly, looking from me to the reaper.

"Take care of that for me," I said to the reaper as I left the store, "I have an appointment in India."

She bowed her head subserviently, and I stole one last glance at the scene unfolding. No one else would die there again, at least not today. I walked to the street and gave a high pitched whistle. The dogs in the block went ballistic against the sound berating their eardrums. Oblivious, the humans continued with their day. The sound of horse's hooves pounding filled the street and the dogs submissively quieted as my pale horse tore through the veil with an ear shattering screech.

"Such an eye for the dramatics," I chided her, "To India, dear Azriel, but first, I hear there is a shop just to the west with the best fried pickles in America."

—

I licked the salt off my fingers as I sat atop Azriel. Her mane flowed around us in a halo of pale light, and together we watched another human die. Another death, another continent, but still all the same. 'Spare me; I have kids, babble, babble, babble.' Though, as far as deaths go, this soul would have a fine time sharing his death. A tiger, near to starvation, was attacking the man. He had his gun in between himself and the beast, but even with adrenaline pumping through his veins, he could never match the sheer mass of the tiger. I reached for another fried pickle as I admired the animal; it had been a magnificent creature before the humans had ravaged its home and left it a starving mass of anger.

With a great slash of its mighty paw, the human was left in ribbons. I descended from Azriel's broad back and walked to the man. He was still alive and would be until I called to his soul. I watched for just a second later as the man writhed in agony and then touched his shoulder. He stilled under my hand and the life vanished from his eyes. I looked at what was left of the man's soul with disdain.

He had spent his sorry excuse of a life gambling away his soul and all his possessions along with it. I stroked the tiger, gently pulling it away from the slow death of starvation, and with a small sigh it lay down and died. I pulled my hands through its thick fur for just a second longer and then turned to the reaper before me.

"I have a feeling you will be taking this one a little south," I said brushing the soul from me with disgust.

The reaper nodded, his gaze somber. I walked away as the reaper called to hell. Screams of anguish filled my ears as the gate was opened. I watched on with little interest as a demon filled the whole. Contrary to what most humans believed, demons were beautiful to the human eye, though, humans never look deeper than the skin.

Azriel walked forward to stand beside me and together we watched the demon coax the soul down to an eternity of torture. She lowered her head and looked into my eyes, centuries of knowledge pounded fiercely behind those eyes; we had been together from the beginning of time, I matched my friend's gaze with one of my own. I turned away from the gate and buried my hand into her mane.

"Chicago, they have a fabulous pizza pie there. And do try to blend in."

Blink.

I opened my eyes to the busy street of Chicago. People were bustling along to their separate living hells. Small office spaces, demanding customers, well that is Chicago— such a miserable little city. I stepped out of the pale 1960 Cadillac Azriel had somehow found. I opened the back door and offered her my arm. She stepped onto the street; her snow white skin and pale blonde hair contrasting sharply with her navy sequence dress, and graciously took my arm.

"Blend?" I asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Blending has never been my style," she replied with a wink.

"Of course not," I conceded.

Other than annoyed glances people generally ignored us.

Azriel looked around the block, "We might as well not go through the trouble of letting them see us; they ignore us either way."

"How would we order then?" I asked as we walked down the street.

A man hit my shoulder, distracting me. He turned back a moment to glare at me. He was a middle-aged man, his hair speckled with gray. He wore an overcoat to shield himself against the cold. He had a meeting he was late to, I read in his eyes.

"Hey! Watch it!" he yelled at me over the den.

I brushed my suit and continued walking. Down the street the man was clawing at his throat—at the cold hand that was crushing his windpipe. He fell to the ground and people started to gather, panic set deep in their eyes. An ambulance was heard across the town. A crushed windpipe, the coroner would say, and his job would be filled in a day. He did not need his overcoat for the cold, the chill took him.

We walked into the pizza parlor and ordered.

"You call me dramatic," Azriel said over the pizza.

I looked up at her through lowered lids, still annoyed at the man on the street. An annoying thought grew in my mind. The humans, as insignificant as they were, never ceased to amaze me. No creature before them, even the dogs they claimed to be masters over, had ever managed to go through life ignorant of the world around them. I glanced up at Azriel and took a bite of pizza pie to extinguish the taste of disgust that had coated my mouth. I turned the ring on my finger and a little girl gasped as Azriel and I flashed out of existence. I picked up the pizza and looked at her, "It was to go," I said before standing up and walking to the door.

"Leaving already?" Azriel pouted.

"Yes," I replied frankly, "So if you please."

"Hey," one of the workers yelled, "who do you think you are, God? You still need to pay!"

I looked back in at the young man's eyes that were trained on me, I frowned, a seer. The last time I had seen one of those had been a decade, in China I believe. His eyes widened as Azriel transformed into her true form, my pale horse. She stomped her hooves impatiently and threw her head, letting loose another scream. His hands flew to his ears, trying to block the shill sound of her scream.

I smiled at him as I walked toward Azriel and sat on her pale back, "No, I am much worse. I am death."

Blink.

**Hope you enjoyed it! If you have any complaints, please let me know! Any constructive criticism, lay it on me! Any other thing you have any desire to tell me, don't hold back!**

**Again, Death, some of the plot of this chapter, and a few other things belong to the show. And seriously, if you haven't seen the show, why are you reading my fanfic!? You've got work to do. ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Death but everything else is pretty much my creation. (: I hope you like it! **

Blink.

I opened my eyes to the icy tundra of Russia. I looked around me for a dying human but all my eyes met were piles of snow. I stepped into the snow, hardly noticing the bite of cold. I let my eyes wander across the unmarred land, nature in its most raw state. But while my eyes wandered my mind thought back on the young man at the pizza parlor. A seer. If I found time I might get him out of the way, seers can be too troublesome, too curious.

I cocked my head, if he saw me, when would he start to see everything else invisible to the normal human eye? I turned slowly and looked to Azriel. She shivered and her image shimmered slightly as she took on the shape of a massive, pale, Amur tiger. She prowled the ground restlessly for a moment before she stalked toward me. I stroked her fur absently.

"Perhaps we should go back and take care of the seer," I casually said, the intent behind my words made Azriel emit a low growl.

"I know we don't have time for that, but he could get in the way if we let him be," I replied watching for her words.

She crouched low and wiggled her shoulders, a predatory gleam in her eyes.

"We cannot toy with him; if I do not have time to kill him then I certainly do not have time to play with him."

She stood and put her big head under my hand, her eyes serious. I looked away. She could see it, how tired I was of doing this constantly. How weary I had grown, just in this millennium. How many souls had I had to send to hell? People now just do not fear and respect principles like they used to.

"Fine," I relented with a small pat on her head, "Go find him."

She disappeared with a deafening roar that echoed off the ice long after she had gone. An Amur tiger answered in response, his mournful call breaking the silence. After a few moments of stillness he wandered off and I delved into the ever changing world behind the veil.

I closed my eyes and quieted my mind. I slowly opened my eyes looking around me. Spirits were everywhere. They walked aimlessly, looking for something, yet looking for nothing. I walked toward one; she was on the verge of becoming a vengeful spirit. The energy throbbed around her like a caged animal, looking for an escape. Her eyes were wild and she screamed to no one in particular but the spirits wandered, only slightly roused by her voice.

"You killed him!" she screeched, her voice reaching pitches that the human vocal chords could never reach, "It's you! It was always you! He thought you were his friend!"

She cut off at a scream that sent the other spirits over the edge, feeding off her energy they started to materialize, going past the veil. I walked to her slowly and gently touched her face.

"Quiet," I whispered.

Her eyes focused on me, red rimmed and puffy, but irises still as blue as they were when she was a girl. Her scream cut off to a chocked sob. She grabbed my hand like it was her life line.

"He's dead," she whimpered her eyes trained on me.

"Yes, dear one. He is dead."

She sobbed again, like I had just confirmed her worst fear, "H-He wasn't su-supposed to die!"

"They never are," I lied, "But you see, he is waiting for you, somewhere warm and safe."

"He's waiting for me?" she asked shakily, her eyes hopeful.

"Yes, come, let me show you."

She nodded and leaned into my hand her eyes closing. I pulled her toward the sky, giving her a small smile and nod when she turned to look back at me. Her soul turned back to a golden light, and then she was gone. I looked after her, another soul back where it belongs. I looked around for a minute at the spirits wandering, unwilling to leave the home they had known so long to venture into the unknown.

I sighed and delved further past the veil, down to the burning abyss humans had so appropriately named Hell. I looked past the torture instruments and looked for a demon. The demon that was second in command only to Lucifer himself. I spied her in the pit her beautiful face pulled and stretched into a grotesque smile of twisted pleasure. The soul she was watching writhed as a demon went about torturing it to nothing, and then waiting for it to become whole so that he could begin again.

I frowned. Only a marred and tortured creature like demons could be able to torture another being and take such pleasure in it. Indeed they had their purpose; but, I still despised them.

"Abaddon," I called out, a frown still lingering.

Her head jerked up and her expression changed to mischief, "Yes?"

I waited, my face impassive. With an exaggerated sigh she ascended from the pit and came to stand in front of me. Her hair was a flame and whipped around her with as much life. She was beautiful and moved with the grace of a cat and the deadly accuracy of a viper.

"What do you know of a seer?" I asked watching her movements carefully but keeping the mask of uninterested firmly in place.

Her lips formed a perfect "o" and she walked around me like a cat stalking her prey, "A seer, huh? Last one was China, right?"

"What do you know, Abaddon?" I asked, quickly losing patience. Demons rarely respond to manners as well as they do to displays of power.

"Oh touchy, touchy," she whined pouting, "Can't we play?"

I glared at her and her windpipe started to close, not many things can hurt a demon, but everything eventually dies.

"Okay!" she gasped, and I let go of her soul. Yes, even demons have souls, souls that have been tortured until there is nothing left but black smoke, but still a soul.

"A seer," I repeated.

"I have heard that there is a seer running about, yes. But I haven't heard anything further than that. Apparently he hasn't been awakened," she spat at me, rubbing her throat.

A voice from past the veil made me stir. Azriel was back, and she had company. I frowned, why would you take a human boy from his job and throw him into the terrain of Russia?

"I appreciate you cooperation," I said to Abaddon who snorted rudely and threw her hair, "It looks like that poor soul is back in one piece."

"Really?" her eyes glittered maliciously and she turned to fix her eyes on the soul, "Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I have better things to do, other fish to fry."

I left her alone to her work and walked through the veil to where the young man was fuming, and freezing. Azriel had assumed the form of a human and was seated with as much dignity as a queen on her perch. She wore trousers this time with a fur coat settled around her shoulders. A frown was on her face as she watched the young man curse and pace in the snow.

"Where am I?" he seethed, "You just randomly show up, grab me, and here I am—wait, is that a freaking penguin? Am I in Antarctica? Well shit."

"Such foul language," I chided, sliding through the veil.

"What the hell?" he shouted, rubbing his eyes and looking at me, "Where did you come from?"

"The veil," I replied and walked toward him, twisting off my ring.

"The what—what?" he said clearly confused.

I frowned; humans, such simple creatures. I held up my ring and in front of him and he automatically held out his hand to catch it. The ring landed in his palm with a thump that made it seem as though it was much heavier than a silver ring. Of course, death is a heavy burden.

"Um, nice ring, dude?" he said, still confused.

"I am not a 'dude'," I said with distaste, "I am death. And now you are my apprentice— for the time being."

He looked at me through his eyelashes and then looked back at the ring, after a moment of silence he said, "Man, you are seriously off your rocker. Look I still have a shift to do, so get your bitch here—"

A cough interrupted his tirade. A series of coughs sent him to his knees in the snow. He spewed blood into the pure white snow that started to steam from the bombardment of warm liquids. My eyes tightened and he lost the strength to stay on his hands and knees. After a few more seconds, just to be sure he had learned his lesson; I released my hold on him. He gasped, gulping in the air and spiriting out more mouthfuls of blood.

"You will watch your tongue, boy," I said my voice low as I walked forward to tower over him, "And you will learn respect. Welcome to your first lesson."

With that I pulled Azriel to her feet and us both through the veil. The boy, too weak to protest, let his head fall back into the snow as he panted, trying to regain his breath. I took my gaze from him and turned to look at Azriel. Here in the veil her current form was overlapped with her true form. Her mane flew around her face in silent waves.

"I can defend myself," she protested looking out at the boy.

"I have no doubt of that. But he had to learn to fear us," I said catching her gaze, "It is through fear that respect is found."

Her defiant look faded and she smiled, "No, my dear friend. It is through love that respect is found."

I shook my head, "I believe it will be quite a long time before he even thinks of liking us, so for the time being?"

She shrugged and her form shivered, her earthly form and true form becoming one, _it will do_, her voice whispered, echoing in the space beyond the veil.

I nodded and slid through the veil to find the boy wearing my ring. At least he had that much sense. He was sitting in the snow his arms propped up on his knees as he stared at the ring on his finger, the cold around him subdued by the power of it. He looked up warily as I materialized before him.

"Okay, maybe you're not crazy. So, you're death?" he asked his eyes switching to Azriel as she passed through the veil.

Azriel whinnied and pawed the ground, her head bobbing.

He looked at her strangely, "Um, what is she doing?"

I frowned, "Someone followed us through the veil."

"You got that from what she just did?" he asked incredulous.

"Of course I did," I relied, "Now, we must leave."

"Leave, now? Why? You're death right? Can't you just kill whatever comes through the 'veil' or whatever?" he said.

I sighed, "You have much to learn. Yes, I can kill anything, but I cannot kill everything, do you understand?"

He stared at me for a moment, "You make no sense."

Azriel, obviously having seen enough, grabbed the back of his shirt in her teeth and jerked him upright. She turned to me with a snort and I climbed onto her back.

"Don't squirm," I said to the boy as he wiggled to get free from Azreil's grasp.

Blink.

**Hope you enjoyed it! If you have any complaints, please let me know! Any constructive criticism, lay it on me! Any other thing you have any desire to tell me, don't hold back!**

**Again, Death, and a few other things belong to the show, NOT MINE. And seriously, if you haven't seen the show, why are you reading my fanfic!? You've got work to do. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Death but everything else is pretty much my creation. (: I hope you like it!**

Blink.

"Are we in Africa?" the boy asked, his jaw slack.

"I believe so, yes," I said sliding off of Azriel.

Azriel dropped the boy onto the ground and he landed in a heap. He glared up at her and in response she shifted to a lithe lioness, her tail whipping back and forth against the ground as she watched him with a predatory gleam in her eyes. His mouth twitched up in a smile and he grabbed a piece of grass and taunted her with it. A low growl emitted from her throat ominously.

I shook my head at them both and then asked, "Boy, what is your name?"

He looked up, distracted for a moment, and Azriel pounced. When he was flattened out on the ground and had stopped struggling she sat on his chest and promptly changed form to a human, wearing safari clothes.

"I win," she purred taking the piece of grass from him and putting it in her mouth.

I gave her a disapproving glance and she stood with exaggerated slowness, "Your name?" I asked again.

"Daniel."

"Well, Daniel, shall we start on your first lesson?" I asked walking toward a large stone.

"I guess," he said with a groan as he stood up and dusted off his clothes, he glared toward Azriel, "You ruined my jeans."

She shrugged, "So make a new pair?" she said with a flip of her hair.

"They are jeans! You don't just 'make a new pair'!"

"I do," she said, switching from safari clothes to shorts and a t-shirt before he could retort.

"Are you done yet?" I asked giving them both a frown.

Azriel looked to Daniel, "Are you done yet?" she repeated.

"But I didn't-!" he cut off with an exasperated sound, "Yes! Yes, I'm done."

"Good. Now, Azriel, if you will please demonstrate how to go past the veil?"

She closed her eyes let a long breath out and then disappeared. Daniel gaped at where she had been.

"Where did she go?" he asked his eyes curious.

"She went past the veil as we shall do in just a moment, first you must clear you mind," I paused, "take a deep breath. Is your mind clear?"

"It's about as clear as it's gonna get," he said his eyes still closed.

"Good," I replied walking over to him.

I took his arm and pulled him through the veil behind me. Daniel opened his eyes as the change shook him. He took in the area with wide eyes. The rock I had just been sitting on was translucent and the image wavered slightly as if it was under water. And then of course, there was the fact that there were spirits dotting the savanna.

"Who are these people?" Daniel asked, his voice slightly panicked, causing the spirits to stir, "Where did they come from?"

"They have always been here," I explained quietly, "They just hide behind the veil; these are sprits that have decided to stay here instead of going on—"

"To heaven?" he asked skeptical.

"Let me finish," I said slowly, annoyed that he had interrupted, "They stay here for many reasons; revenge, family, and many stay just because they are afraid of what lays beyond. They stay here wandering in and out of the veil, trying to reach out to family and friends, and most times, failing. It takes a great bit of energy for them to get past the veil and when they do, most times they are driven mad by their fear and years of not being able to reach out that they explode. They become," I paused, waiting for him to catch on.

"Ghosts," he said sadly, looking around at the spirits.

I nodded but was interrupted by a giggle. Daniel and I turned to find the source of the laughter. There was on little girl that skipped along, her little hands trailing through the grass. Her laughter echoed through the silence of the veil and Daniel stretched a hand out to her, a smile on his face.

"Hey, what's your name?

She froze her face stricken, "Bad man, Mommy said not to talk to strangers. You white man, you hurt me. Don't hurt me anymore!"

She cut off at a screech and hurtled toward him at astounding speed. Daniel's eyes widened but he stood his ground and let her attack him. She scratched at him, her nails leaving nothing but phantom pains that made Daniel wince but he stayed still and refused to fight back. After a few moments she grew tired and started crying. He sat on the ground and held her as she cried, trying to console her.

"What was she saying?" he asked.

I blinked; I had forgotten that humans didn't all understand each other.

"It doesn't matter," Azriel said, walking to Daniel and stoking the little girl's black hair, "Talia, dear," she crooned.

The little girl looked up, tears streaked her dark face and she whimpered after hearing her name from so many years ago, "Mommy?"

"No sweet child," Azriel soothed pulling her into her arms, "Mommy isn't here anymore. She has gone somewhere else, somewhere better."

"No, she said not to leave. She come back for me!" the girl whimpered shaking her head.

"I know, dear, but Mommy is playing hide and seek, "Azriel lied, "We need to find her; can you help me find her?"

Talia smiled up at Azriel and nodded. Azriel smiled back at her and lead her up to the sky. Talia turned back and smiled once more before she was gone in a flash of light, her laugh echoing behind her. Azriel looked after her, a sad smile on her face. I walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at me and took a deep breath.

"Is she gone?" Daniel asked looking after her into the wide expanse of ever changing sky.

"Yes," I said turning from Azriel to look at Daniel.

"Where did she go?" Daniel asked, tearing his eyes from the sky to settle his troubled gaze upon me.

I paused, considering for a moment, and then answered, "That is a lesson for another time. For now, we must continue. To come here you separated your soul from your body-"

"I did what!" Daniel exclaimed pushing a hand to his chest, "Am I dead?!"

"Silence, boy!" I yelled, losing my patience, "You must wait until I am done speaking."

Daniel swallowed hard and then nodded.

I settled my gaze on him and continued, "To return to the other side of the veil, where your body resides, you just need to think of your body. Remember where you are, the feel of the sun on your skin, the grass under your hands. Settle your mind, and try."

Daniel closed his eyes again and quieted his breathing after a minute he huffed, "It's not working!"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, alright!" he conceded, closing his eyes again.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, after a moment his form shivered out of existence.

Blink.

**Hope you enjoyed it! If you have any complaints, please let me know! Any constructive criticism, lay it on me! Any other thing you have any desire to tell me, don't hold back!**

**Again, Death, and a few other things belong to the show, NOT MINE. And seriously, if you haven't seen the show, why are you reading my fanfic!? You've got work to do. ;)**


End file.
